Two-post, three-speed, three-shaft large-drum draw works



May 27, 1930. 5, TIMES 1,760,184

Twp-POST, THREE-SPEED, THREE-SHAFT LARGE DRUM DRAWWORKS Filed Aug. 15, 1927 '2 Sheets-Sheet l Elhfomwq May 27, 1930. E. TIMBS ,7

TWO-POST, THREE-SPEED, THREE-SHAFT LARGE DRUM DRAWWORKS Filed Aug. 15, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @ftonmq Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD TIMBS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL SUPPLY COMPANY OF DELAWARE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE TWO-POST, THREE-SPEED, THREE-SHAFT LARGE-DRUM DRAW WORKS Application filed August 15, 1927. Serial No. 212,966.

This invention relates to three-speed, threeshaft, two-post large drum rotary drawworks for use in connection with apparatus for drilling oil wells, gas wells, or the like.

As the depth to which wells, and particularly oil wells, increases in the effort of drillers to reach sources of petroleum oil and the like at greater depth in the earth, the problem of handling the drilling apparatus and particularly the extremely long and heavy drill pipes or stems becomes more difficult. These pipes or drill stems are handled through a cable which is trained over pulleys or sheaves mounted on the crown block of the derrick and wound around the drum of the rotary drawworks. In drilling to these depths which, in many cases, exceed 6,000 feet, speed in handling the drill stem or pipe is an essential commercial'factor in order to reduce the cost of drilling these holes or wells.

In the construction of a rotary drawworks, another very important factor is to utilize all of the space between given limits so that the drive to the rotary table of the rotary drilling apparatus is substantially alined. The drum of the drawworks is centrally located relative to the sheave of the crown block and so that the cat heads and other apparatus of the rotary drawworks is located as near as possible to the rotary machine. These requirements in a rotary drawworks make it essential that the rotary drawworks be constructed as compact as possible and in order to handle a long cable at relatively high speeds without subjecting the operative mechanism of the rotary drawworks to too great strains, it is essential that a large drum be employed. I

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a drawworks adapted for use in connection with drilling apparatus for the drilling of oil wells, gas wells, and the like, which is of a compact structure and which inculdes means for driving the drum of the rotary drawworks at different speeds and which is likewise provided with a plurality of shafts including a drum shaft, a drive shaft, and a countershaft from which the drum shaft is driven so as to enable the apparatus to be constructed of a minimum length and so as to enable the rotary machine to be driven directly from the drive shaft of the drawworks without necessitating the operation of the drum shaft or the countershaft.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rotary drawworks of compact structure which includes a base structure upon which counter and drum shafts of the rotary drawworks are mounted and upon which base structure posts are mounted for suppporting the line shaft or drive shaft.

Another object of this invention is to provide a three-speed, three-shaft, two-post large drum drawworks including a base structure upon which the drum shaft and the countershaft from which the drum is driven are mounted and posts mounted on the base structure in order to elevate the line or drive shaft which is supported by the said posts above the relatively large drum carried by the drum shaft to permit the said shafts to be operated without possibility of interference of their operating parts or connections.

Other objects and advantages of this invention, it is believed, will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preof the drawworks frame structure and these base frame castingsare mounted upon the floor of the oil well or like derrick or upon the sills 5 thereof. Mounted on the opposite ends of the frame structure on the said castings are posts 6 and 7 respectively. These posts are preferably stepped on the upper faces of the castings.

The upper ends of the posts 6 and 7 are secured together by means of beams 8. The posts 6 and 7 support the rotary drive shaft 9 in bearings 10, which bearings 10 may be of any suitable or desirable construction or may be and preferably are of the self-aligning type as set forth in my copending appli cation filed September 13, 1927, Serial No. 219,232.

The shaft 9 is driven by means of a motor, engine or the like or any suitable or desirable construction as is well understood in the art and is driven from said drive means preferably by a chain which is trained over either ofthe sprockets 11 or 12, secured to the shaft 9, depending upon the s eed at which it is desired to drive the sha t 9 and hence the rotary drilling machine which is operatively driven from the drive shaft 9 through the clutch 13 and sprocket 14, likewise mounted on the shaft 9. The clutch 13 includes a clutch collar 15 which is splined on the shaft 9 and presents square drive jaws 16 which engage the complementary square jaws 17 formed on the hub of the sprocket 14 which is loosely journaled ,on the shaft 9. The squared jaw type clutch is here provided so as to permit a reversible drive to the rotary machine.

Means are provided for supporting at the rear of the base frame a counter-shaft 18, which means are preferably of the following construction: The upper rear corners of the base structures 1 are formed to provide half of a bearing box, as indicated at 19, within which bearings preferably of the self-aligning type heretofore referred to, are mounted and within which bearings the counter-shaft 18 is journaled. The halves of the bearing boxes are formed on the frame structure in position inclined from the vertical and covers 20 are provided for the bearing structures and bolts 21 are provided for securing the covers in position over the bearing structures.

Means are provided for drivin the counter-shaft 18 from the drive sha t 9, which means are preferably of the followin construction: Mounted on the drive sha t 9 is a friction clutch mechanism 22 which may be of any suitable or desirable construction, as is well understood in the art, and through which the drive sprocket 23 is driven from the drive shaft 9. A friction clutch is provided at this point in order to permit flexibility of operation, such as is required in the driving of the drum and drum shaft of a rotary drawworks and also so as to permit the shaft 9 to be engaged with the countershaft 18 and hence with the drum shaft when the drum and the drum shaft are rotating. A chain drives the counter-shaft 18 from the sprocket 23 to a sprocket 24 secured to the counter-shaft 18.

Means are provided for supporting the drum shaft 25 on the base casting 1, which means preferably comprise bearings which are mounted in a bearing box provided or formed at the front upper corners of the castings 1, as indicated at 26, and which are provided withcovers 27 which are secured to the castings 1, as illustrated at 28. The bearing boxes are formed in position inclined from the vertcal in a manner similar to the formation of the bearing boxes 19.

Mounted on the drum shaft 25 is a drum 29 which is constructed of arelatively large diameter'calculated so as to permit the spooling or winding of the entire hoisting cable upon its periphery with only two layers or windings of the cable. The drum 29 is formed of such diameter so as to remove from the cable wound thereon a substantial portion of the strains and wear caused in such a cable which is supporting a very heavy load when the same is wound or spooled 011 a drum in multiple layers. The friction caused by the winding of the cable upon a drum where the same is supporting a very heavy load and is caused to be wound at a very rapid rate, quickly Wears the cable reducing the strength thereof, endangering the same, the drilling equipment, and the operators thereof. The drilling of deep holes or wells also necessitates the use of a large drum so as to enable the drill stem to be removed rapidly from the hole and replaced readily therein when it is desired to change or redress the drilling bit being employed.

' The use of end frame castings is advantageous because it facilitates forming rigid bearing supports for the counter-shaft and drum shaft and also facilitates locating the three shafts as near together as possible. At the same time it enables a relatively largedrum to be mounted on the drum shaft. In this way the length of the drive chains is re duced. Furthermore, the necessary direction of drive to the drum shaft and to the counter-shaft, causes the tension in the cable, and the tension in the driving chains to develop resultant forces on the counter-shaft and drum shaft tending to hold these shafts in their inclined bearings. In this connection is should be understood that in drawing tubing from the well the drum will have to rotatev in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3.

The drum 29 has at its opposite ends flanges 30 upon which the brake drums 31 are secured. Any suitable or desirable form of brake bands and actuating means are provided, such as is well understood in the art.

Means are provided for driving the drum shaft 25 from the counter-shaft 18 at different speeds so as to enable a flexibility of operation of the drum 29, which means are preferably of the following construction: Mounted on the drum shaft 25 are three sprockets 32, 33 and 34. Journaled on the counter-shaft 18 are complementary sprockets 35, 36, and 37. The sprockets are connected together by means of chains, not shown. The sprockets 32 and 35 provide a low speed drive connection from the counter-shaft 18 to the drum shaft 25. The sprockets 33 and 36 provide a second or intermediate speed drive from the counter shaft 18 to the drum shaft 25. The sprockets 34 and 37 provide a high speed drive from the counter-shaft 18 to the drum shaft 25. In order to permit the sprockets 35 and 36 to be engaged while the drum shaft is rotating, spiral clutches 38 and 39 are provided which may be of any suitable or desirable construction as is well understood in the art. In order to permit the drum 29 to be driven in either direction at high speed, a square type jaw clutch 40 of any suitable or desirable construction is provided for engaging the sprocket 37 with the counter-shaft 18. The low and intermediate drives from the counter-shaft 18 to the drum shaft 25 are mounted intermediate the posts 6 and 7 adajacent the posts 6 and 7 respectively. The third speed drive connection is mounted outside of and close to the post 7.

Mounted on the ends of the line or drive shaft 9 are the customary cat heads 41 which are located by this construction close to the center of the rig within which the rotary drawworks is positioned.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rotary drawworks, the combination of a pairof base frame members, posts supported on the base frame members, means for rotatably supporting a drive shaft on the posts between the ends thereof, a drum shaft, a counter-shaft, and means for supporting the drum shaft and counter-shaft on the base frame members respectively on opposite sides of the drive shaft.

2. In a rotary drawworks, the combination of a base frame structure, posts supported by the base frame structure, a drive shaft journaled in bearings secured to the posts between the ends thereof, a counter-shaft, a drum shaft, means for rotatably supporting the drum shaft and counter shaft in spaced relation on the base frame structure, and respectively on opposite sides of the drive shaft, means for driving the counter-shaft from the drive shaft, and means for driving the drum shaft from the counter-shaft.

3. In a rotary drawworks, the combination of a frame, a drive shaft rotatably supported in hearings on the frame, a counter-shaft rotatably supported on the frame, means including a friction clutch for driving the tween the counter-shaft and drum shaft at the opopsite end of the frame. I

4. In a rotary drawworks, the combination of a frame, a drive shaft'rotatably supported in bearings on the frame, a'counter-shaft rotatably supported on the frame, means including a friction clutch for driving the counter-shaft from' the drive shaft at all the different drive speeds, a drum shaft rotatably supported in bearings on the frame and having a relatively large drum thereon, means for driving the drum shaft from the countershaft, the latter said means including a low speed drive connection between the countershaft and the drum shaft at one end of the frame, an intermediate speed drive connection, a high speed drive connection between the counter-shaft and drum shaft at the opposite end of the frame, and clutch means mounted on the counter-shaft for disengageably connecting the said drive means.

5. In a rotary drawworks, the combination of a pair of base frame members, posts supported on the base frame members, means for rotatably supporting a drive shaft on the posts between the ends thereof, a drum shaft, a counter-shaft, means for rotatably supporting the drum and counter-shafts on the base frame members, means for driving the drive shaft, means for driving the counter shaft from the drive shaft, and meansfor driving the drum shaft from the counter shaft, the latter means including a low speed driving connection adjacent the frame structure at one end thereof, an intermediate drive connection between the counter shaft and drum shaft, and a highspeed drive connection between the counter shaft and vdrum shaft, the latter said drive connections being adjacent and on the opposite sides of the frame structureat the opposite end thereof from "the low speed drive connection.

6. In a rotary drawworks, the comblnatlon of a base frame structure in the form of two castings, posts supported by the base frame structure, a drive shaft journaled 1n bearings secured to the posts between the ends thereof, a counter shaft, a drum shaft, means for rotatably supporting the drum and counter 7. In a rotary drawworks, the combination of a base frame having two end frame castings located respectively at opposite ends of the drawworks, a pair of end posts, each post being stepped on the upper face of its corresponding end frame, a drive-shaft supported on one side of the said posts, counter-shaft bearings located at the ends of the end frames and on the same side of the posts as the driveshaft, a counter-shaft mounted in said bearings, drum-sha ft bearings located on the ends of the end frames beyond the said posts so that they are located on the opposite side of the post from the drive-shaft, a drum-shaft and drum carried in the drum-shaft bearings,

means for driving the counter-shaft from the drive-shaft, and means for driving the drumshaft from the counter-shaft.

8'. In a rotary drawworks, the combination of a base frame having two end frame castings located respectively at opposite ends of the drawworks, a pair of end posts, each post being stepped on the upper face of its corresponding end frame, a drive-shaft supported on one side of the said posts, inclined counter-shaft bearings located at the ends of the end frames and on .the same side of the post as the drive-shaft, a counter-shaft mounted in said bearings, inclined drumshaft bearings located on the ends of the end frames beyond the said posts so that they are located on the opposite side of the posts from the drive-shaft, a drum-shaft and drum carried in the drum-shaft bearings, means for driving the counter-shaft from the drive shaft, and means for driving the drum shaft from the counter-shaft.

9. In a rotary drawworks, the combination of a base frame having two end frame castings located respectively at opposite ends of the drawworks, drum shaft hearings on one end of the end frames with a drum shaft supported in the same, counter-shaft bearings on the other ends of the end frames with a countershaft supported therein, posts supported on the end frames between thedrum shaft bearings and the counter-shaft bearings, and a drive shaft with bearings for the same supported on the posts.

Signed at Torrance this 18th day of July,

EDWARD TIMBS 

